The design of a satellite communications system in an orbit lower than GEO is described. Two sun-synchronous orbits which lie in the equatorial plane have been selected: (1) the apogee at constant time-of-day equatorial orbit, a highly eccentric orbit with five revolutions per day, which allows 77-135 percent more satellite mass to be placed in orbit than for GEO; and (2) the sun-synchronous 12-hour equatorial orbit, a circular orbit with two revolutions per day, which allows 23-29 percent more mass. The results of a life cycle economic analysis illustrate that nongeostationary satellite systems could be competitive with geostationary satellite systems.
Communications satellites in non-geostationary orbits
AIAA International Communication Satellite Systems Conference ; 1988 ; Arlington, VA, United States
01.01.1988
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Communications satellites in non-geostationary orbits
AIAA | 1988
|European small geostationary communications satellites
Online Contents | 2011
|Geostationary satellites collocation
TIBKAT | 2014
|